Quintiles and its network of 26 prime sites in 14 countries work together to create a more efficient clinical trial process by recruiting, enrolling and retaining more patients through the course of a clinical trial.
The new agreement is designed to involve more patients in clinical trials than has previously been possible in one location in Latin America, according to North Carolina-based Quintiles. Ultimately, this agreement intends to help accelerate the collection of data about the safety and efficacy of investigational therapies.
“Latin America is attractive for clinical research because its sites have access to large population pools, with highly qualified and experienced investigators, strong doctor-patients relationships (which is reflected in protocol compliance and low patient discontinuation rates) and a proven record of high enrolment rates in studies,” Quintiles spokesman Phil Bridges told us.
To date, Hospital Italiano has conducted more than 60 trials in 12 different therapy areas with Quintiles – comparable to other Quintiles prime sites, and delivered the required subjects for a variety of complex trials for the company.
The push into Latin America comes as a recent Frost & Sullivan study found strong growth in the region, especially in terms of health economics studies.
“According to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, timelines are typically extended to nearly double their original duration to meet desired patient enrolment levels across all therapeutic areas — delays that can increase costs, deplete resources and prolong the time it takes for drugs to get to patients in need,” said Jeanne Hecht, SVP of Site & Patient Networks at Quintiles. “Quintiles recognizes these challenges and is dedicated to working together differently across the healthcare system to transform drug development and achieve better patient outcomes.”